New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-10-18
pROHJBI7YONISTS IN A CORNER.


been forced upon the people Of tins state
promises to arouse the religious classes as no
other political issue has done since the days OF
slavery. 1t promises to do so IN even more
effective way. So far no division OF OPINION
has shown itself upon this question among the
church people. No clcrgymcn were more Jealous
in the Albany and Buffalo meetings than the
Roman Catholic priests who met for The hrSt
time, in many years at least, upon common
platform with their Protestant brethren. Inc
similar meeting held in this city yesterday
and the action taken, show also Il placucalI!
unanimous determination among AL chufchcS
10 stand shoulder to shoulder IN DEFENDING
Sunday against the liquor deaers. who arc not
content with six days of the week, but must
have most of the seventh also.
Where are the Prohibitionists going to stand
in this fight ? This new issue, for 1t Is So
practically. places them in a peculiar dilemma
II is true that the clcrgymcn, who arc organizing
against the Personal Liberty Leagues. declare
that theirs is "A non partisan movement. 80 1t
is and should be. They viii take their stand
upon the broad question Of principle, and
leave it to every voter to apply 1t rs his CON
science and common sense teach him. But
the question has already been carried INTO pol
tics by the Personal Liberty Leagues, ana no
citizen can vote or refrain from voting inns
fall without acting more or less directly upon
it, What will the prohibitionistS do nus
far they have persisted in maintaining scpar-
ate political organization. hostile to the only
GREAT party that has ever shown itself earnestly
in favor of temperance, and upon the alleged
theory that this was the way TO force that parry
to take still higher ground. In other words
they proposed to cripple the party so that 1t
should travel faster. To be consistent IN this
attitude they even stood side By side with
liquor-dcalcrs in opposing restrictive lcglSla-
ton carried through by the Republican party.
But the alliance Of the liquor dealers, the
Personal Liberty Leagues and the Democrats
puts a different face upon the matter. The
liquor dealers have abandoned the defensive
and have begun an offensive campaign against
the peaceful, orderly, sober Sunday which Is
the pride of our American civilization. Are
the ProhibitonIsts gong TO help them Iho
proposition to open the saloons on Sunday from
2 o'clock until midnight means vast increase
Of drunkenness. DO the PrOhlbtlonis'S want
that? 1t means a vast increase Of crime. DO
The Prohibitonsts want that? 1t ~ one thing
to oppose all pcrIniSsivc legislation, ana quite
another to aid in clccting men to office who
are pledged TO throw open the doors oi the
saloon on Sunday. That Is pcrmlsslyc legisla-
ton with vengeance.
The Plohibltonsts must take their stand
either with the churches or the lquor-dcalcr
on the Sunday question They cannot stand
with both In this State the identification OF
the liquor power with the Democratic party
is complete. 1t is a notorious fact that one OIL
the influences which made cX-Alayor Murphy,
OF Troy, himself brewer, chairman OF the
Democratic State Committee was his close re-
lationS with the liquor interest, on which the
Democracy counted for great things IN TINS
campaign. The head Of the Democratic ticket
is also a brewer In this State and Pennsyl-
vania enormous corruption funds are beng
raised by the liquor dealers to defeat the Kc-
publican candidates. The alliance is admitted
by hquor-dealcrs and politicians alike. Their
special aim now is the proposed Sunday law
Every vote against Republican candidates Is
vote to encourage the liquor dealers party,
or where members Of the Legislature arc IN
question, to add to the number Of men who VIII
favor such law. 1t is. then, no cXaggelaton
to say that vote for Prohbitionlst candidates
is "A vote to open the saloons on Sunday.